LaReserve

[PaulMCO]

Everyone is talking about the food.

It is really about both the food and the WINE!!!

[JMBobB]

Considering I spent the years from late '60's thru the '90's dining al fresco upon C-Rations, LRRPs and MRE's often washed down with purification tablet laced canteen water, I think the La Reserve experience is worth it's weight in gold. Hell, who wouldn't with my adult eating history? :p

 

NOT that I haven't had the odd overseas culinary joy untold from time to time. My most memorable being freshly steamed flies that died and augered in on my plate of hot rice, boiled grass and a meager specks of pig's gristle-laden knuckle washed down with warm orange kool-aid. :eek:

 

So you see, even though I may not overly enjoy some of the La Reserve menu offerings, until I find a dead or dying fly nestled in my serving of Bay Scallops and Jamon Iberico "Pata Negra" over Tarbais Bean Cream, I am generally a pretty happy and easy going camper... :cool:

 

As to the wines? There have been darn few corks I haven't loved or at least enjoyed. And I am well known to have pursued more than a couple of comely vintages with my trusty foil cutter and cork screw at the ready in my lifetime. Truth be told, I do huff a bit more and choose the slower bottles to lust after now days. :(

 

The best part of the vino hunt at my time of life is that the butlers and/or sommeliers do all the work for you on Oceania. Life is GOOD :D

 

But summa the dishes on the haut cuisiney La Reserve menu do remind moi to blame it on Mura it'n they don't exactly tingle mah palette. :rolleyes:

 

Thet sed, do enjoy and L'Chaim!

 

JMBobB

[Aloha 1]

Here is question of a different nature. We are booked in a penthouse on Marina for 19 nights. From the moment I could book my dining reservations up to today, La Reserve never showed any days/times to book. I called O earlier today and was told all La Reserve dining events are fully booked. Can this be true? That would imply that Oceania and Vista Suites gobbled them all up and I cannot imagine this to be true as there were 6 evenings allegedly. Is there a possibility that some seats might still be open to be booked on board?

[StanandJim]

Here is question of a different nature. We are booked in a penthouse on Marina for 19 nights. From the moment I could book my dining reservations up to today, La Reserve never showed any days/times to book. I called O earlier today and was told all La Reserve dining events are fully booked. Can this be true? That would imply that Oceania and Vista Suites gobbled them all up and I cannot imagine this to be true as there were 6 evenings allegedly. Is there a possibility that some seats might still be open to be booked on board?

 

Nothing personal, but you seem to have made a number of assumptions which led you astray. Chief among them:

 

1) La Reserve is an entirely different animal from the Specialty Restaurants and may be reserved by ANY class of cabin, from the moment that one has a deposited reservation, and the La Reserve nights are up on the Oceania website. The only requirement is that payment in full must be made at the time of booking the reservation.

 

2) La Reserve will not be open for dinner on every night of your cruise, there will be many nights when the venue is dark.

 

3) Not that it matters, at this point, but there are three levels of Suite above you, not two: Owners, Vista and Oceania.

 

The bad news is that you appear to have dawdled while everyone else on the ship booked.

 

The good news is that if you can raise a dozen or more passengers who still want to book, you may have success in petitioning Oceania to add an extra night. I've attended two or three such evenings.

[Aloha 1]

Nothing personal, but you seem to have made a number of assumptions which led you astray. Chief among them:

 

1) La Reserve is an entirely different animal from the Specialty Restaurants and may be reserved by ANY class of cabin, from the moment that one has a deposited reservation, and the La Reserve nights are up on the Oceania website. The only requirement is that payment in full must be made at the time of booking the reservation.

 

2) La Reserve will not be open for dinner on every night of your cruise, there will be many nights when the venue is dark.

 

3) Not that it matters, at this point, but there are three levels of Suite above you, not two: Owners, Vista and Oceania.

 

The bad news is that you appear to have dawdled while everyone else on the ship booked.

 

The good news is that if you can raise a dozen or more passengers who still want to book, you may have success in petitioning Oceania to add an extra night. I've attended two or three such evenings.

 

I always appreciate your comments. The question is: Are you saying that as soon as we had a deposit on this cruise we could have booked La Reserve? I have never heard that before.

 

I have always been under the assumption that reservations could not be made before your dining reservation date. Perhaps I was wrong on that. Regardless, not once did I ever have the ability to book on line and sadly, I never realized you could book by calling as the last time we did La Reserve, I made the reservation on board.

[LHT28]

Here is question of a different nature. We are booked in a penthouse on Marina for 19 nights. From the moment I could book my dining reservations up to today, La Reserve never showed any days/times to book. I called O earlier today and was told all La Reserve dining events are fully booked. Can this be true? That would imply that Oceania and Vista Suites gobbled them all up and I cannot imagine this to be true as there were 6 evenings allegedly. Is there a possibility that some seats might still be open to be booked on board?

I do not think La Reserve is even listed under the Specialty restaurant tab

I seem to remember it was under a different tab in "My Account"

Maybe someone with a booking can check the location for future reference

 

You can always ask once onboard if they will have other nights sometimes in the Currents we did notice they had advertisements for La Reserve dinners

[ORV]

I do not think La Reserve is even listed under the Specialty restaurant tab

I seem to remember it was under a different tab in "My Account"

Maybe someone with a booking can check the location for future reference

 

You can always ask once onboard if they will have other nights sometimes in the Currents we did notice they had advertisements for La Reserve dinners

 

It's under "Dining", which lists the Specialties, La Reserve & Privee, each with their own tab.

 

My cruise that is the farthest away will not let me book La Reserve, it is in January. The others in Aug & Dec I could book.

[StanandJim]

I always appreciate your comments. The question is: Are you saying that as soon as we had a deposit on this cruise we could have booked La Reserve? I have never heard that before.

 

That is EXACTLY what I am saying. Passengers pay for a seat in La Reserve, so as soon as they have a valid booking number, they have the ability to book La Reserve.

 

Of course, if you booked the cruise too early, the nights when La Reserve would be operating might not have been announced yet, and everyone has to wait for that. The key is to keep checking that Tab in your Oceania Account for that voyage.

[Aloha 1]

That is EXACTLY what I am saying. Passengers pay for a seat in La Reserve, so as soon as they have a valid booking number, they have the ability to book La Reserve.

 

Of course, if you booked the cruise too early, the nights when La Reserve would be operating might not have been announced yet, and everyone has to wait for that. The key is to keep checking that Tab in your Oceania Account for that voyage.

 

Yes, and yes. There was no availability for La Reserve listed at all up to the date when we could make our dining reservations - which, I know, are separate from the La Reserve tab. Nothing ever showed up under La Reserve. Not a list of dates nor times. And I did check at least 4-5 times per week. Zip, Zilch, Nada. Oh, well, lesson learned. From now on as soon as we book I'll call to get on the list.

[StanandJim]

Nothing ever showed up under La Reserve. Not a list of dates nor times.

 

I'm confused by your response, because you say that you have been to La Reserve on previous cruises.

 

Therefore you already know that La Reserve caters to a single seating of guests per evening, and that "times" would never be a part of the process of reserving there.

 

LOL, and if you have forgotten all of that already, how firmly may I rely on your reports about the website?

[Aloha 1]

I'm confused by your response, because you say that you have been to La Reserve on previous cruises.

 

Therefore you already know that La Reserve caters to a single seating of guests per evening, and that "times" would never be a part of the process of reserving there.

 

LOL, and if you have forgotten all of that already, how firmly may I rely on your reports about the website?

 

My bad. I meant the dates primarily. When we last did La Reserve on Riviera, we booked on board from a choice of dates and menus, each with the start time. My point was that when checking for our upcoming cruise on Marina, I never saw any dates listed at all for La Reserve. Sorry for the confusion. FWIW, you can generally rely on anything I post. The exception would be any posting after a session at Martini's. :D

[pinotlover]

One of the many services my TA provides me/us, is that she tells us exactly when LaReserve has opened for bookings and we call immediately. Not sure about the protocol, but she has never actually done the booking for us herself, she just tells us that LaReserve will open up on XYZ, or has opened up today, for our cruise and then we book it.

 

She knows what we like and is all over most of our needs. We don't need to think so much! ;) Just part of her service, which keeps us loyal! ;)

[Hawaiidan]

One of the many services my TA provides me/us, is that she tells us exactly when LaReserve has opened for bookings and we call immediately. Not sure about the protocol, but she has never actually done the booking for us herself, she just tells us that LaReserve will open up on XYZ, or has opened up today, for our cruise and then we book it.

 

She knows what we like and is all over most of our needs. We don't need to think so much! ;) Just part of her service, which keeps us loyal! ;)

 

No substitute f or a good long term relation with a good agent who knows you and your tastes and has a good relation with Oceania .... None.

[ORV]

Just curious on the 20% discount. If you received the drink package as a perk do you still get the discount?

[ronrick1943]

I agree with Mura, I think La Reserve is great--We go every time we cruise on "O".

[CateW]

Quick question. I don't eat beef, chicken or pork but I do eat fish. Do they accommodate for those that don't eat meat in La Reserve or should I just skip that course, which would be fine. Thanks!

[pinotlover]

I remember the staff substituting appropriate vegetarian dishes for meat dishes, but I don't remember ever seeing them subbing a fish course for a meat course. They are pairing foods with wine and trying to sub a fish course, that they may have available, to pair with a Big CA cab or a hearty Barolo may just not work for them.

[ORV]

Just curious on the 20% discount. If you received the drink package as a perk do you still get the discount?

 

Nobody?

[LHT28]

Nobody?

Why not ask your TA if she does not know the answer she will find out

 

Maybe if you upgrade to the Prestige package they might allow it

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/experience/value/beverage-packages/

Guests purchasing either beverage package will receive a 20% discount on any of our exclusive wine-pairing dinners in La Reserve on board Marina and Riviera.

Edited August 2, 2016 by LHT28

[ronrick1943]

We had the Prestige package and got the discount.

[JimandStan]

We had the Prestige package and got the discount.

 

Yes but you paid for the Package.

The question at hand is "Does the discount apply if you get the Package as a freebee? "

[pinotlover]

Freebees exist from Oceania? :confused:

 

I thought it was all in the package price, you know like 2 for 1 fares, or free airfares! Only freebees I get are from my TA, imo.

 

So if one takes the OBC option ,and then once onboard decides to use that money to purchase the Bev Package, would the discount for LaReserve apply? Contorted thinking isn't it. If O gives a discount to those that have the Bev Package, then they give the discount to those that have the Bev Package. Should be simple, imo. :rolleyes:

[Hawaiidan]

Everyone is talking about the food.

It is really about both the food and the WINE!!!

 

The food was pretty average stuff, however "presented " with a little more panache and flair than in the main dining.

The wine like wise rather un-remarkable but nice, nothing outstanding..no Parker 95+ but rather solid 75-80 stuff.

 

It was mostly a culinary theater event, where you hyped yourself and the staff encouraged you too.. It was very easy to get caught up in the moment and get on the bandwagon. and get carried away.

 

I found Paul that the true pleasure of the event was that of social interaction with ones fellow guests..

 

Came for the food and wine stayed for the people. which were far more than the food

[pinotlover]

Dan is being overdramatic again and showing his lack of palate! There are no 80 or below wines offered during a meal.:rolleyes: He is correct one won't see Parker 95+ wines, but most all the wines are 88-93 pointers.

 

I have enjoyed wonderful Barolo, Brunello, and white (Montrachet) and red Burgs at the dinners. Wine quality varies between the three dinner options, but all serve at least the quality of wines I've noted above! ;)

[GeorgesGal]

You two guys are too funny!

 

Love ya and can''t wait to sail with either of you.

'

Edited August 4, 2016 by George'sGal